BELAGAVI: Govt has initiated digitisation of property records in all urban local bodies (ULBs). However, the process has slowed down due to various reasons, including staff shortage, work pressure, shortage of funds, and technical glitches. Due to this, the public still struggle to get the original property-related documents.
To preserve the property records in the ULBs of the districts, govt implemented the e-property software project by digitising the property records. With the implementation of e-property software in the ULBs, there will be a curb on the destruction of old documents, the sale and transfer of the same property to more than one person, and the illegal alteration of property details.
It was expected that the digitisation would facilitate the preservation of more than 18 lakh property records in Belagavi district, provide facilities to the people on time and ensure transparent administration.
However, due to various hurdles, it has not been possible so far. The public is still struggling without getting the original documents of the property in most of the districts in the state, including Belagavi.
The officials of the revenue department say that at present, the registration, transfer, division, sale, and consolidation of property accounts within the scope of ULBs are being handled by receiving applications through Sakala centres.
Apart from Belagavi City Corporation (BCC), the district has city municipal councils at Nippani and Gokak. According to the officials of the revenue department, in these three ULBs, 70% of original records of properties have been digitised so far.
Sidagouda Modagi, president of Bharatiya Krishik Samaj, said revenue minister Krishna Byre Gowda keeps talking about the e-property software. “This software should be a boon to property owners. Documents related to each property will be safe in DigiLocker. There is no scope for tampering with property documents. People can see the property details on the website itself. There is no need to visit the office multiple times, but this should be implemented practically at the hobli and rural level, and steps should be taken to create awareness regarding the same,” he said.
Corporation and municipal council officials said it is better to implement the property software after conducting a survey of all properties and digitising them. Tax collection will be facilitated only if properties are accurately identified, they said.
Deputy commissioner Mohammad Roshan stated that digitisation of properties in local bodies is in progress. “A review will be done to know the status of digitisation of properties,” he said.
Reshma Talikoti, commissioner of the revenue department of BCC, said it is true that tax collection will be facilitated only if the properties are identified accurately and digitised. “Action will be taken in the near future to conduct a survey of the properties. However, now the priority is tax collection of outstanding properties,” the official said.
